Lamingtons
Ingredients:
Sponge Cake:
3 eggs
½ cup castor sugar
¾ cup self-raising flour
¼ cup cornflour
15g ( ½ oz) butter
3 tablespoons hot water
¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
Chocolate Icing:
500g (1lb) icing sugar
1/3 cup coca
15g ( ½ oz) butter
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Desiccated coconut 375g (12 oz)
Method:
Sponge Cake:
Beat eggs until light
Gradually add sugar, continue beating until mixture is thick and sugar and sugar completely dissolved ( about 20 minutes)
Sift dry ingredients several times
Melt butter in hot water
Sift dry ingredients over egg mixture, fold in lightly; then working quickly
Fold in hot-water-and-butter
Pour into lightly greased 18cm x 28cm (7in x 11in) lamington tin.
Bake in moderate oven approximately 30 minutes.
Chocolate Icing:
Sift icing sugar and cocoa into heatproof basin, or into top half of double saucepan.
Add softened butter and milk
Stir with a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly.
Stand over hot water; stir constantly until icing is of good coating consistency.
Make cake the day before cutting and icing.
Thinly trim brown top and sides from cake.
Cut cake into 16 even pieces.
Hold each cake on a fork (a two pronged fork, like a carving fork is best it is less likely to break cake).
Dip each cake into icing; hold over bowl a few minutes to drain off excess chocolate.
If icing becomes too thick too quickly, stand it over hot water while dipping.
If still too thick, add a little warmed milk or water.
Put cakes individually into a bowl of coconut.
Sprinkle coconut over evenly, or gently toss in the coconut.
Stand on wire rack until completely dry.
